Liquid-fuel atomizer



Jan. 27, 1925- 1524,0533

W. F. PAGEL LIQUID FUEL ATOMIZER Filed May 9, 1923 a MSSQS' E William g zez Patented Jan, 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM F. PAGEL, 0F SYGAlVtORE, ILLINOIS.

Application filed May 9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. PAGEL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sycamore, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Liquid-Fuel Atomizer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in atomizers for liquids and has special reference to liquid fuel atomizers.

The object of my invention is to provide simple mechanical means for so thoroughly atomizing liquid fuel, especially the lower grade or heavier fuel oils, that the fuel shall be capable of substantially instantaneous, perfect and complete combustion.

My invention includes a member in the form of a rotatable fan having a plurality of blades, the fan inclosed in a casing having an air inlet at one point and an air outlet at another point, means for feeding the liquid into the casing into the path of the fan blades, which are adapted to strike and hammer the drops of liquid into smaller and smaller drops or particles, as the liquid works around toward the outlet. The casing is provided with a plurality of passages, pockets and shouldersat its periphcry adjacent to the path of the outer ends of the blades for cooperation with the blades for returning the liquid in partly atomized form to the path of the tips of the blades and for cooperation therewith, so that the liquid will be impinged or struck a number of times by the blades between the point where it enters the casing and the point where it finally leaves the casing to be pro" jected into the furnace for combustion.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an atomizer embodying my invention, a portion of the casing being broken away for illustrative purposes 1 Figure 2 is an edge view of the atomizer, the casing being broken away to show the nozzle for liquid supply; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 53 of Figure 2.

In said drawings 1 illustrates the casing which is a flat cylindrical housing, having LIQUID-FUEL ATOMIZER.

Serial No. 637,764.

an air inlet 2 at its center and a fuel mixture discharge nozzle 3 at one point of its periphery. The discharge nozzle 3 is connected to a suitable discharge, or delivery pipe 4, through which the atomized fuel is conducted to a place for use, such for instance, as the furnace of a boiler for the use of oil as fuel. Concentrically mounted within the housing 1 is a shaft 5 upon which is secured a multi-bladed fan 6, having pref erably siX, fiat radial blades 7.

The housing is preferably arranged on edge with the discharge opening 3 at one side and at the top of the housing. For

feeding the liquid to the casing I provide a feed supply pipe 8 near the center of one side of the casing, ending in a short nozzle 9 projecting into the casing, its inner end being bent downwardly and spaced inwardly from the wall of the casing, upon which it is mounted, so that the liquid will drop into the casing free of the side walls thereof. The fan blades are cut away laterallv at their inner ends, so as to provide space to freely pass the nozzle 9.

The inner periphery 10 of the housing is cylindrical and the tips 11 of the blades 7 sweep around as close to this inner periphery as is practical without actually rubbing thereon. The fan is rotated in the direction of the arrow on Figure 1 at a high speed. The liquid fed to the casing through the feed nozzle 9 drops down into the path of the revolving blades7, and by reason of the high speed of the blades the liquid is thrown against the periphery 10 of the casing. At the lower part of the casing the periphery is preferably smooth and continuous, as shown at 10, and the liquid which is thrown against this part of the periphery is spread over same and is carried forward by the fan blades as they sweep over this part of the periphery. Between this lower smooth part of the periphery of the casing and the delivery outlet 3, I provide means for causing the liquid which is picked up by the blades and thrown by same to be returned to the path of the blades a number of times, to the end that the blades will strike the liquid a great many times, and thus hammer and pound the drops or particles into smaller and smaller particles, so that when it escapes through the discharge it is in exceedingly ter the periphery of the housing at slignt angles. The periphery 10 of the housing is malntained between the openings into each of the passages 13 by a cross bar or plate The blades tend to throw the heavier drops or particles of liquid into the passages andsome of this outwardly projected. liquid will flow back into the path of the successive blades and the finer thereof will reenter the housing through the outlet ends 16 of the passages 13 into the path of the moving blades. Likewise the heavier drops are thrown into the pockets 14; from which this heavy or unatomized liquid will flow back onto the inner periphery of the casing where it will be again struck by the successive fan blades. Furthermore, the movement of the blades past the pockets tends to draw the finerdrops 01" particles of liquid inwardly again to be struck by the successive lades.

The peripheral passages or recesses. what- "ever their form, all provide inclined walls,

shoulders or surfaces 17 adapted to return the unatomized liquid to the path of the tips of theblades for impingement thereby. This successive impact or striking of the liquid by the successive bladesserves to thoroughly breakup or atomize the liquid before it escapes through the discharge nozzle 3.

The fan 6 may be rotated by any suitable -means, and I have illustrated a pulley 1.8 se- *cured to one end 'o'fgthe shaft 5, by means the common type. 7 shown atr24 and is likewise a'needle valve. This automatic valve is, adapted to stop the of-Which the fan can be driven in an obvious manner. On the other end of the shaft I secure a simple centrifugal. governor 19 provided with a movable collar 20 having a (011- centric groove 21.

The liquid feed nozzle '9 is connected with a supply pipe and I provide both a manual and an automatic control valve. The manual valve shown at 23 consistsof anadjustable needle valve of The automatic valve is flow of liquid to the device when the fan is not runningand is-connected to the governor by a bell crank 25, one arm of which is provided with a pin which rides in the groove 21, and the other arm of which is pivotally connec'tedto the upper end of the valve 24-, so that as the fan increasesin speed and obtains its normal'speejd the movement to the right of the collar 20 by the governor will lift the valve to open it. The maxi mum flow of liquid is controlled by the amount that the valve 23 is opened and the automatic valve opens to permit such flow when the fan is under normal speed.

As many modifications ol my invention will readily suggest then'isclves to one skilled in the art, I do no limit my invention to the specific details of construction and operation herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described. a rotatab e fan having a plurality of blades, a housing in which the fan is mounted for rotation, the housing having an air inlet at one point and an air outlet at another point at the periphery of the casing, means for feeding liquid into the casing. the using adjacent to the sweep of the tip of the blades being arranged close to said ti is, said casing provided with a plurality oi transverse grooves and bypass openings, by which any unaton'iized liquid is caused to he returned to the path of the blades a number of times between the point at which it is picked up and the outlet of the casing. as and for the purpose specified.

' 2. In a mechanical aton'iizer. a multibladed fan, a casing in which the same is mounted for rotation, the casing provided with an air inlet at one point and an air outlet at its periphery at another point. the peripl'iery of the casing beingarranged close to the fan blade tips, means for feeding liquid to the easing into the path of the tan blades, the periphery of the casing provided with pockets into which the fan can project the heavier liquid, and having walls adapted to return the liquid to the path of the blades as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the kind described. a circular housing having a central air inlet and having an air outlet at a point of its periphery, a multi-bladed fan concentrirally mounted within the casing, the tips of.

the blades just clearing the inner periphery of the casing, means for feeding liquid to the casing and into the path of the fan bladesythe lower portion of the periphery of the casing being smooth and the casing? between said smooth portion and the out let, in the direction of rotation of the fan. provided with a pluralityof transversely extending pockets. cross bars forming eontinuations of the casing periphery arranged to provide entrance and exit ends for some of said pockets.

4. In a device of the kind described, a circular housing having a central air inlet and having an air outlet at its periphery. a multi-bladed fan concentrically mounted within the casing. the tips of the blades just clearing the inner periphery of the casing, means for feeding liquid to the (Janing and into the path. of the fan blades, the

lower portion of the periphery of the casing being smooth and the casing between said smooth portion and the outlet, in the direction of rotation of the fan, provided with a plurality of peripheral pockets providing a plurality of transverse Walls 01 shoulders adapted to direct unatomized liquid back opening it is impinged or struck by the 10 blades a great many times.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 30th day of April, 1923.

WILLIAM F. PAGEL. 

